To a recent World Bank report $600 billion will be spent over the next decade to augment water reserves. In those areas that now rely on desalination methods for generating fresh water, people look for more abundant and less costly sources.
In exploring the earth""s water resources, one can not find a more abundant source than in polar ice, which stores approximately 80% of the entire planet""s fresh water. Harvesting and transporting this water to prepared ports, in the form of naturally occurring icebergs, would make monumental changes. Desert and arid climates could become agricultural centers with abundant irrigation. Densely populated regions, which now struggle with pollution, would be able to overcome poverty and disease. Industries would have lower costs because of more available resources. People would not need to compete for scarce resources when ample supplies are provided, thereby reducing the possibility of confrontations and war.
With these potential benefits in view, an International Conference and Workshop on Iceberg Utilization was convened. It was held at Iowa State University in 1977 and was attended by the world""s foremost experts on iceberg utilization and other related disciplines. A book entitled xe2x80x9cIceberg Utilization,xe2x80x9d edited by A. A. Husseiny, provides the details of the conference, and states that its objectives, among others, are examining the feasibility of iceberg utilization and providing reference material for the same. Within it there is much detail on the various aspects of global iceberg utilization, including iceberg selection, harvesting, insulation, transport, storage, and the final distribution and consumption of its fresh melt water.
Each one of these aspects present tremendous and unique challenges that must be overcome in order to be feasible and successful. The prior art in this field, however, while introducing some interesting and innovative approaches, unfortunately has not yet sufficiently met these challenges, as will be shown below.
First the iceberg must be chosen. Data on the size, shape, and distribution of tabular icebergs appears on page 55 of the above-mentioned book. Tabular icebergs are preferred for transport because their flat surfaces have less drag through the water and a rectangular cross section would help avoid rolling or calving during transport. Additionally, transport would be aided if the iceberg had a large length to width ratio. The Antarctic has the greatest selection of tabular icebergs, and more particularly the Ross and Amery ice shelves produce a large number of ideal tabular icebergs. The iceberg will be chosen based on an optimal shape, size, and location for transport and storage.
In order to convey it to the Northern hemisphere, the iceberg must be protected from warm waters. xe2x80x9cIf icebergs towed across tropical areas are unprotected, the water losses due to ablation could make their use uneconomical. Hence, it is imperative to protect towed icebergs from ablation throughout their trip by incorporating adequate insulation to minimize heat transfer,xe2x80x9d wrote Syed N. Hussain, on page 423 of the above-referenced book. The use of an insulator and protector under the iceberg and along its sides up to and above the waterline would be the best way to ensure that an economically feasible sized iceberg""s arrival at its terminal port. This is because the greatest causes, by far, for iceberg melting, calving, and spalling during transport would be due to the warmer water surrounding the lower five-sixths the iceberg and the ocean""s wave action in the area of its waterline.
In view of this, several patents have dealt with both or either of these two problems. The methods and apparatuses disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,751 (1979), U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,887 (1979), U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,712 (1980), U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,409 (1980), U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,418 (1980), U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,640 (1981), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,423 (1981), all to Mougin, and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,415 (1966) to Merrill all present the same general flaws. Firstly, the apparatuses themselves add a level of complexity far above what is necessary to insulate and protect an iceberg. Secondly, they would be extremely expensive to manufacture. Specialized factories would have to be built to produce and handle the over 800,000 square yards of petroleum-based or other material and items needed to cover just the sides of one iceberg alone. Thirdly, problems arise in handling and transporting these immense apparatuses not only from the factory to the ocean, but also over water to the iceberg preparation sites. Fourthly, the apparatuses are composed of non-recyclable components and so present problems relating to further transport from or ultimate disposal at the final destination site. Lastly, and perhaps most significantly, all of the above-cited patents, excepting U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,415, do not insulate the bottom of the iceberg. This means that nearly two-thirds of the total area of the iceberg which is exposed to the surrounding warm water is neglected, which will dramatically increase melting and ablation. Thus, precious and costly fresh water, measuring in the billions of gallons, will be wasted en route to where it is needed the most.
In addition to their general flaws, some of the above-cited patents have particular shortcomings as well. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,172,751 and 4,230,418 both rely on a wall of chilled water to insulate the iceberg. In practice, because the chilled water is not contained, it will simply sink and be replaced by the surrounding warm water. U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,712 has ballast tanks which will drag against the insulating sheath and wall and thus damage them. Also, the entire insulating wall is supported on weak ice. U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,409 has many joints and thus much leakage, and the flexing of the wall from wave action will agitate the water surrounding the iceberg. Also, it is supported by gantries located in the soft ice on top of the iceberg which is not adequately strong and stable. U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,640 adds sixty meters to the width of the iceberg. This prevents any streamlining of the iceberg""s shape and adds a very substantial frictional surface area during transport, which greatly increases energy costs. U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,423 uses helicopter platforms which do not conform to the specifications of the Aeronautics Safety Board. U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,415 is meant for icebergs a small fraction of the size dealt with here.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,491 (1980) to Mougin discloses a method for reducing the rate at which solar radiation melts the freeboard of the iceberg. Though the method itself is highly questionable and surely unsafe, the entire undertaking is quite unnecessary and not remunerative. xe2x80x9cKollmeyer has investigated in detail the melting of icebergs and has estimated that the heat transferred by radiation is about {fraction (1/500)}th of that by conduction and convection through contact with the sea water,xe2x80x9d wrote Syed N. Hussain on page 424 in the above-mentioned book.
To move a large iceberg thousands of miles for up to six months at sea, an improved system of propulsion must be developed. A system, outlined by C. Peter Benedict on pages 334-338, exists for towing relatively small icebergs short distances. However, the system cannot be applied to these far larger icebergs over greater distances. Similany, U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,946 (1986) to Page, is intended for relatively small icebergs which must only be towed out of shipping lanes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,184 (1981) to Mougin and U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,715 (1976) to Fitch et al. both also require towing with cables. In particular U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,715 is extremely ill-suited for long distances.
Towing a massive iceberg with cables cannot work for a number of reasons. Firstly, the cables could not be easily set at a point below sea level where force would be best applied to the mass. Accelerating force vectors should be applied to act directly through the center of gravity of the iceberg to avoid rolling or canting. To render matters still more difficult, the center of gravity changes constantly as the mass of the iceberg inevitably decreases during transport. Secondly, the narrow area of a cable or even of a net of cables would cause high pressure at the point of contact, thereby melting through the ice instead of towing it. Moreover, it is not possible to hold the larger iceberg together if cables are used. Icebergs are not solid masses, but a number of joined parts frozen together along fractures. The iceberg would soon calve under the applied forces of a towing cable. Thirdly, steering such a mass is a challenging prospect, and it is more so if towed by several ships needing to constantly move together and not apply shear stresses on the fragile ice. Finally, a huge tug boat, or battery of tug boats, totaling in excess of 90,000 shaft horsepower would be required to move such massive objects. The reverse wake effect from this powerful arrangement would cause the iceberg to spall and eventually disintegrate.
Other methods disclosed in the prior art, which do away with the problems inherent in both cables and towing, present other problems. Mamo, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,989 (1982), fails to account for the frailty of the ice. Bursting bubbles cause cavitation of steel and bronze propellers. In addition, air at high pressure has increased temperature. This combination of force and heat would destroy an iceberg. Further, by having a tug boat in front of the iceberg, the wake of the boat would cause additional ablation and would also make the iceberg difficult to control.
A self propelled iceberg as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,873 (1982) to Connell would very likely calve under the forces. Furthermore, the structures disclosed are built on the softest and weakest area of the iceberg, the so-called xe2x80x9cwet icexe2x80x9d. Apart from presenting an unacceptable safety hazard to any personnel on the iceberg, when the inevitable ablation and spalling occurs near the equipment attached to the edges and sides of the iceberg, the equipment would fall off and be lost.
The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,748 (1979) to Mougin has other problems associated with it. The force of propulsion being at right angles to its support members is wrong. This would tend to promote additional stress factors and almost certainly detach the propulsion units from the iceberg. Also, the position of the propulsion units on the bottom of the iceberg means that it is pushing the iceberg far below the iceberg""s center of gravity thus promoting instability, rolling and loss of steering control.
While the propulsion device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,627 (1980) to Mougin does away with many of the aforementioned objections to the previously-cited prior art, it suffers from its own failings. Firstly, the device is embedded into the side of the iceberg. This puts it in very real danger of unintentionally disembedding itself from the iceberg due to the effects of stress- and temperature-induced ablation. Secondly, it utilizes an electrical power generation plant installed on the weak and unsafe top of the iceberg. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the propulsion device is not designed to be repositioned. This is a serious shortcoming since the iceberg""s center of gravity is constantly shifting due to iceberg mass reduction. This means that eventually the propulsion device will be substantially off center thereby causing dangerous rolling, instability, loss of steering control, and reduction in propulsion efficiency.
Once the iceberg arrives at its final destination in the given arid region, it must be stored while its fresh water is reclaimed through melting. In connection with this, U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,498 (1980) to Mougin discloses a method for rapidly melting an iceberg. While imaginative and innovative, it adds an unnecessary element and level of inefficient complexity to the melting process, through its use of electric pumps and other equipment.
I have been interested in the polar region since, as a boy scout, I applied to travel there with Admiral Byrd in the 1920""s. Since that time I have visited several large dams, and sailed boats from Maine to Venezuela, Japan, Indonesia, Egypt and the Mediterranean. After a lifelong awareness of maritime functions and problem solving, it has become clear that the herein described improvements of a method of iceberg utilization make it the best system for large scale water redistribution.
Several stages and steps are involved in a procedure for properly exploiting the iceberg resource. Beginning with a detailed iceberg selection process, to the capture and harvesting of the iceberg, to intricately and thoroughly insulating it for transit in warmer waters with an environmentally beneficial covering, to providing a safe, effective, and steerable propulsion means, to calculating a route that accounts for variables including coriolis, wind, water currents and sounding depths, to stopping the iceberg within a terminal channel without damaging the channel walls, to isolating the iceberg""s melt water from sea water, to the final distribution of the melt water, each stage will become an industry of its own as will be shown by example below.
The present invention solves the problems found in the prior art approaches to iceberg insulation and propulsion and introduces new solutions to iceberg stoppage, reception, and storage at its final destination. All parts of the invention combine to make a process that can allow the utilization of icebergs to abate fresh water shortages.
Once selection and harvesting of the iceberg are made, as described in detail elsewhere, the insulation must be produced, brought to the iceberg, and applied. For the application of this insulator it must be recognized that the size of the iceberg would require hundreds of tons of material. A buoyant mat such as kelp, is therefore superior to heavier materials. The kelp can be grown within a rope framework that can be harvested as kelp blankets. These blankets can be transported to the iceberg and attached without ever being lifted from the water. This saves a great deal of labor and equipment. The cost of the insulator and the equipment necessary for application are large factors in the economic success of the iceberg utilization.
Unlike the insulating methods and apparatuses used in the prior art, naturally-grown kelp blankets are produced cheaply without the need for expensive materials, manufacturing processes, or specialized factories. They provide a simple, effective barrier that is free of leaks and gaps. They do not rely on chilled water for insulation since kelp is a natural thermal insulator as can be seen by the long time that ice remains under a kelp wad on a beach. They are easily handled, transported, and applied. They are recyclable and can actually be used at the point of destination. They do not require repair, re-transportation, or final disposal. They do not have parts associated with them that may become entangled or damage the insulation. They allow for a streamlined iceberg configuration which aids transportation. They do not rely on the soft and weak ice on the top of the iceberg for support. Finally, they not only cover the sides of the iceberg, but float up to cover the huge, exposed bottom side of the iceberg as well. Moreover, the use of kelp for the production of the insulation in the present invention can actually lead to the start of a whole new industry. Setting up the kelp growing sites, tending to the kelp, growing it into kelp blankets, growing other natural fibers needed in the blanket production, are just some of the occupations that will potentially provide employment for thousands of island dwellers.
For the propulsion of the iceberg, a powerful, specially designed, remotely-operated subtug is provided. This subtug will push the iceberg at the intersection of the center of one of its shorter sides and the iceberg""s center of gravity. Its front end employs a retractable ram which, because of its very large surface area, will not break the ice apart due to excessive compression forces or permanently embed itself into the iceberg""s side. Thus it can be easily re-positioned on the ever-shifting center of gravity of the iceberg.
This method has tremendous advantages over the propulsion methods and apparatuses found in the prior art. It does not require the use of towing by ship or the use of cable and so does away with all the following objections. Towing with the tremendous power required will produce a correspondingly large and destructive reverse wake effect on the iceberg. The stresses associated with using two or more tugs for steering can break apart the iceberg. Cables can actually cut through the iceberg. Finally, they cannot easily be placed on the iceberg""s center of gravity nor easily repositioned as necessary.
Further, this method, unlike some others in the prior art, will not disintegrate the iceberg through high air pressure and temperature, will not present a safety hazard or danger of equipment loss through contact with the soft ice on top of the iceberg but can apply its propulsion force in any direction and preferably directly through the iceberg""s center of gravity. For these reasons, the method and apparatus disclosed here is far superior to any method or apparatus disclosed heretofore.
Such a large mass of ice has great momentum, and once at its final destination must be brought to a stop without crashing into any object that cannot be easily fixed or replaced. This invention provides a wide channel for the iceberg to be sent into, and movable inner and outer dams. Once in the channel, the bottom of the iceberg runs up against metal pawls, designed to stop the iceberg in the channel before reaching either the inner dam or the end of the channel. These pawls will be set into sockets in the channel, and, when struck by the incoming iceberg, will shear off ice, converting inertia into work for reducing the iceberg. The socket is designed to raise the pawl to an angle to meet the iceberg.
Next, the outer dam is rolled into place behind the iceberg, isolating it from the highly concentrated salt in ocean water. The dams are composed of one or more large discs fitted with multiple internal tanks arranged radially around the disc. An internal array of valves, pumps, and pipes allows the internal tanks to be filled with liquid or air causing the disc to roll. The individual discs can be set tight together to form a single dam by pumping the liquid inside to adjust the center of gravity. The dam in place, sea water will be less able to pollute the fresh melt water.
The inner dam can be rolled open to bring the newest iceberg into an area for containment and distribution of the fresh water. With two sets of dams, several icebergs can be stored, ready for distribution to any number of users.
The concept of damming a large channel as required by this invention is without precedent. In the Netherlands there are wide channels. However, these are relatively shallow. The dam of the present invention envisions a height in excess of 500 feet. Although seemingly a large scale venture, it is the size that makes it appealing. The quantity of water that is moved with a single iceberg makes it the most cost effective source. Much more so than the energy-dependent desalination that reclaims sea water.
In the summary of findings of the Iceberg Utilization Conference, it was understood that given proper innovation in the area of insulation during transit, and backing by world governments, water costs could be reduced by half, and iceberg utilization was a consummate notion. xe2x80x9cThere is an endless supply of icebergs and the future holds great promise for turning arid, barren lands into rich, fertile valleys.xe2x80x9d (Jerry Rosenberg on page 622).
Therefore, in view of the foregoing, the present invention is an improvement to the process of moving fresh water in the form of icebergs from their calving site in Antarctica to arid areas that have an increasing need for fresh water. Four interrelated areas of improvement to the utilization process are disclosed.
First an improved means of insulating the iceberg from warm tropical waters provides an environmentally compatible material that utilizes renewable resources available in ocean waters. Once grown and pulled into a mat, the insulation product never has to be lifted or taken from the water. All transportation costs are for towing and placement of the mats.
Second is an improved means of propelling the iceberg to its final destination through tropical waters. The propulsion unit can be placed at optimum positions on the iceberg. A large surface area in contact with the iceberg allows greater force to be applied without damage to the ice. Said propulsion unit is also used for placing the insulation mats.
Third is an improved means of bringing the iceberg to a stop at its final destination. By using a large number of pawls to shear off ice and slow momentum, damage to a few will not hinder the operation. Chipping off chunks will speed the melt process slightly. The insulating mat can be placed to shape the iceberg""s bottom to be compatible with the use of the pawls.
Fourth is an improved means of storing the iceberg and melt water at its final destination. The large size of the inner canal allows multiple icebergs to be held in various stages of melt, and the brackish contamination is reduced by the two sets of roll dams. Kelp stripped from the icebergs by the pawls can also be gathered as a byproduct. The object of this invention is to provide an improvement to the process of supplying fresh water in large quantities to areas worldwide by relocating polar icebergs.
A further object is to provide an improved means of insulating the iceberg to prevent excessive melt in tropical waters.
A further object is to provide a means of making a kelp blanket to use as said insulation. A further object is to use an environmentally compatible insulation means.
A further object is to provide an improved means of propelling the iceberg.
A further object is to provide a means of propelling the iceberg without causing the iceberg to break apart.
A further object is to provide an improved means of propelling which can be controlled from one ship.
A further object is to provide a means of propelling which can be placed at an optimal spot on the surface of the iceberg.
A further object is to provide a channel in which to bring the iceberg to a stop.
A further object is to provide a means of stopping the iceberg in the channel.
A further object is to use dams which can be moved, despite large size by rolling.
A further object is to use rolling dams to reduce brackish contamination.
A further object is to use rolling dams to reduce wave action in the channel.
A further object is to provide an inner channel to store numerous icebergs and the melt water from such.